Ancelotti sacked: Why it happened and how it affects Borussia Dortmund

Bayern Munich have parted ways with their Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti after just 6 league match days.

Borussia Dortmund’s rivals look to be changing the guard in Munich. In an official statement from the club, it is revealed that discussions were held after the 3-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain concerning Ancelotti’s future. Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has also said the following:

"“Our team’s performances since the start of the season have not met our expectations. The match in Paris clearly showed we had to take immediate action. Hasan Salihamidzic and I met Carlo today for full and frank discussions where we informed him of our decision.”"

It has also been noted that Ancelotti’s coaching staff will be leaving with him. Assistant coach Willy Sagnol will manage training and any futures games until Bayern can find a permanent replacement.

But the question remains, “Why was he sacked?”

Events leading up to his sacking

There were a few reasons why Carlo was sacked. Let’s take a look at the biggest ones.

Lack of abundant silverware last season

The beginning waves of uncertainty can be tracked back all the way back to April of last season. Bayern were doing well in the league as usual, but they struggled in every other competition. Ancelotti and his men suffered 3-5 on aggregate against his former side Real Madrid in the Champions League. Just a week later, Ousmane Dembele produced a masterclass against Bayern in the semi-final of the DFB Pokal. Dortmund advanced after a 3-2 win, and went on to win the competition.

Bayern Munich are not accustomed to losing, no less being knocked out of two competitions in the span of a week. One could argue that both Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund went on to win their respective competitions, suggesting they were the best teams around. However, a club of Bayern’s stature is incapable of making such excuses.

Bayern are dominant domestically, and with Ancelotti at the helm, were always a favorite to win the Champions League. With only one title won last season, questions were asked concerning Ancelotti’s ability to lead the club.

League performance this season showed weaknesses in the Bayern squad

Recently, Bayern Munich have dropped points against VFL Wolfsburg and TSG Hoffenheim, seeing the current champions sit 3 points below Borussia Dortmund.

Bayern have an over-reliance on Lewandowski, and the Polish international isn’t always capable of delivering goals. Hoffenheim held them scoreless in a 2-0 victory in the Bundesliga.

The biggest blow that has been dealt to the Bavarians this season is the injury of star goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. The former Schalke man is expected to be out for the rest of the year.

Normally, clubs would be able to deal with a problem like this. However, with Neuer’s immense ability, it hardly gives the other goalkeepers in the squad a chance to get out onto the pitch. This is the case for Sven Ulreich. A lack of playing time has hindered his development, and that has been plain to see in his most recent matches. This, in turn, has already cost points for Bayern,  and will continue to do so.

Ancelotti plays favorites

Bayern Munich is currently undergoing a transition between the older players and the newer, younger players. Players like Arjen Robben who came up under the Van Gaal era are being replaced by young talents like Kingsley Coman. Joshua Kimmich is perhaps the brightest young star to grace the Bayern lineup. Kimmich is thought to be the replacement for club legend Philipp Lahm.

Ancelotti has a reputation for playing the same lineup over and over again, not giving too much thought to squad rotation. This has limited players who need to be brought into the squad to take over from the old guys who will soon retire.

It’s no secret that James Rodriguez moved to Bayern to be reunited with his former Madrid boss. The Colombian is undoubtedly a great player, but might not be the best fit for the Bundesliga champions. James was without a doubt a favored player under Ancelotti, and we might see his role limited now that the Italian is gone.

More importantly, Ancelotti doesn’t utilize Thomas Muller. Oftentimes we see him sitting on the bench as his teammate Lewandowski is expected to score goals.

When Muller does start, it’s almost always out of position. Muller’s natural element is as a second striker, and the Italian’s favored 4-3-3 just doesn’t allow that. When the 4-2-3-1 is implemented, Muller is put as the attacking midfielder. While the positions are similar in area, they are two completely different roles.

Difficulties with the players

Paris were able to defeat Munich 3-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday. The Bayern starting eleven did not include Robben, Coman, Rudy, Ribery, Hummels, or Boateng.

Many questioned the exclusions of these players, and that speculation was justified when Paris won.

Arjen Robben was the one who spoke to the media, only for him to dodge any question they asked. You can find the details of the interview here. The Dutch international was visibly annoyed. While he did not criticize Ancelotti openly, he refused to back his manager.

Robben is just one of many players who disapproved of Ancelotti or the club in general.